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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23704417">And I Should Have Known Safety Was Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkDippedFingertips/pseuds/InkDippedFingertips'>InkDippedFingertips</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Somewhere Between Kansas and the Open Road [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Big Brothers, Drabble, Gen, Hurt Sam Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, John Winchester Tries, Leather Jackets, Protective Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester Bingo, Young Sam Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:41:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,088</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23704417</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkDippedFingertips/pseuds/InkDippedFingertips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam had little to comfort him when he was kidnapped, except for a familiar leather jacket. </p><p> </p><p>Sam Winchester Bingo Fill O4: Leather</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dean Winchester &amp; Sam Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Somewhere Between Kansas and the Open Road [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1698406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>And I Should Have Known Safety Was Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sam didn’t move from where he sat, tucked between the toilet and sink on the cold linoleum flooring of the dirty motel. His hands were clamped on his ears, tears leaking from his eyes as struggled to block out the shouting match just outside the door. It was difficult to tell how long he’d been there, hiding away from his father and brother in shame. Still, Sam was aware of a few things, namely the ache in his ribs, the stinging pain of his wrist, the trembling of his body from the cold.</p><p>The sound of their voices rose again, and Sam found himself biting his lip harshly, but was unwilling to close his eyes and risk seeing those teeth, feel those hands grabbing at him again. A loud bang hit the wall across from him, making Sam flinch harshly, pulling the leather jacket he was wrapped in tighter. Silence followed the sound, a still moment after the chaos of their night. Then footsteps, marching toward the front door which opened with a creak and slammed closed.</p><p>Sam let out a harsh, trembling breath, didn’t move. He liked where he was, felt safe in this small space he had slipped into, the scent of his brother around him. The jacket had only been Dean’s for a short while now, he could still detect the faint smell of cigarettes and cologne that was distinctly their dad’s, but it was slowly being overpowered by everything Dean. Motor oil, gunpowder, teenage sweat, and blood, all the scents of home and comfort coating the oversized jacket, the only thing Sam had to reassure himself during his brief captivity.</p><p>And it had been brief. Hardly three hours in that filthy cage with pale faces taunting him before his dad came in wielding his shotgun and machete, like some sort of white knight; brilliant and filled with rage. Dean had come in after, just as angry but with the air of fear they had never seen in their father. Sam didn’t even get the chance to see his dad fight before Dean was breaking open the cage and yanking him out with a firm grip. The car ride was painfully silent. The argument started when they were parked outside the motel and Sam fled before they could ask if he was okay. He still didn’t even know what the monster had been.</p><p>“Sammy?”</p><p>He stared at the door, tried to let the familiar sound of Dean’s voice ease the tension inside him. It didn’t work, Sam found himself unable to move away from his place on the floor.</p><p>“Sammy come on, open the door. I need to take a look at you.”</p><p>The same fear from when Dean rescued him was there, in his voice, in an almost imperceptible tremble and that was finally enough to make Sam move, tentative and painful. It was impossible to smother a whimper as he uncurled, saw the doorknob shake suddenly.</p><p>“I’m coming Dean,” he called out hoarsely.</p><p>He could practically feel his brother’s impatience through the door and Sam worked hard to stifle any other pained noises as he finally crossed and flipped the lock. He didn’t even have the chance to turn the knob before Dean was shoving open the door and gripping his shoulders, eyes wide as they ran over him.</p><p>“Where does it hurt?” he continued briskly, hands patting gently down his arms.</p><p>“My ribs and my arm mostly,” Sam motioned to each one, knew better then to try and play it brave where his brother was concerned.</p><p>“Shouldn’t have run out like that Sammy, should have looked at you soon as we got here,” Dean muttered guiding him back into the room and having him sit on the edge of the bed.</p><p>“Didn’t want to hear the shouting.”</p><p>Dean’s jaw clenched but he didn’t say anything, simply began the process of slipping Sam out of the leather jacket. With several hisses and whispered apologies, it was finally peeled off and dropped onto the bedspread and they began the work of getting his shirt off.</p><p>Sam bit his lip as Dean’s fingers pressed against his rib, carefully turned his wrist this way and that, eyes on his task with a laser focus that betrayed how upset he still was. Looking away from his older brother, Sam tried to think of the words to say…to apologize for what had amounted to an amateur mistake. He couldn’t, there was no excuse, not really.</p><p>“I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you at school Dean.”</p><p>Dean had been unwinding some bandages to stabilize what he deemed to be a bad sprain on his wrist, but he paused, blazing green eyes bearing into his, “it was not you fault. I should have been there to pick you up, on time.”</p><p>Sam swallowed thickly. He’d taken to walking to the motel lately, so Dean didn’t have to rush out of the mechanic job he’d managed to get. The boss didn’t like when he left early and Sam figured what their dad didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt them. It wasn’t Dean’s fault that Sam was too impatient to hang around the school for an extra hour, even when his brother constantly reprimanded him.</p><p>But convincing his brother that he wasn’t to blame had always been an impossible task. So, in silence he let Dean fuss over him, if only to sooth his brother in the only way he knew how. His wrist was wrapped firmly, his ribs were checked once more and found it to be only bruising, though Dean’s expression darkened when he explained it was from a hard kick. Sam pliantly accepted the glass of water and drank the whole thing under his watchful eye and finally, finally, his brother sat down beside him and pulled him close.</p><p>They were never ones for the mushy stuff, but Sam found himself burrowing carefully, deeply into Dean’s side, smiled when an arm was wrapped securely around him, and his brother’s chin rested on the top of his head. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, if anything it was reassuring. Their dad would be back soon with food and he’d be mad at Sam for being so reckless, but he’d also be relieved enough not to push and besides…Dean wouldn’t let him. Inevitably, even with the monsters dead, they’d be packed up and gone by late afternoon tomorrow.</p><p>Sam, however, found he could ignore all that, content in the fact that being in his brother’s arms was the safest he’d felt all day.</p>
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